Two defeats and an off-day has dropped the Diamondbacks out of a wild-card spot. They now sit one and a half games back of the Padres for the third slot in the National League, but have a chance to move back into contention this week, with a home stand against the Twins and the A’s. I’ve always had a soft spot for Minnesota, mostly because the first American I knew - and this is back in the mid-seventies - was a family friend who hailed from Minneapolis. He sold me my first “proper” bike, ten-speed, drop handlebars and everything, when he went back to America.